Refinancing | Mortgage Refinancing | Mortgages | Credit Card Debt | Financial Solutions
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Should Mortgage Refinancing be used to Consolidate Credit Card Debt
According to the financial industry this type of regulation will hurt consumers and make it more difficult for people and small businesses to acquire credit. They argue that the people who most acutely need access to credit will be the most at risk of being declined access to credit.
Even though legislators from the US, Canada, and the UK are all proposing some type of regulation of Credit Card Issuers, there is little chance of any serious relief from the unreasonably high interest rates or punitive fees that have become the norm.
The sad fact of the credit card business is that the people who can least afford high interest rates are the people who pay the highest rates. And make no mistake about it, although most of the disclosures made in the agreements you sign in the terms and conditions for use your credit cards are not hidden, average consumers have very little chance to understand exactly what they are paying and the consequences of not complying to those terms.
There are many consumers that are in serious financial trouble today and according to the experts, one of the critical reasons for the financial meltdown was the refinancing of mortgages to pay off credit card debt.
Millions of Credit Card holders refinanced their Credit Card debt into their mortgages. This may come as no surprise to some financial experts but many people have been stung by consolidating the balances from credit cards into refinanced mortgages. Should Mortgage Refinancing be used to Consolidate Credit Card Debt? No way!
By opting into mortgage refinancing and then using the same credit cards, as if no extraordinary measures were taken to pay down the balances in the first place, consumers have basically been the masters of their own financial demise and have incorrectly used mortgage refinancing to consolidate debt. This is what the industry would have you believe. I say bring on regulation.
One of the most important things you must realize about credit cards is that there is no regulation on the way interest rates and fees are imposed and applied. Much to the detriment of the credit starved consumers who fall prey to, what I would call, loan shark interest rates.
Much of the problem here is that a typical person will have nothing to worry about until something unusual happens in their financial situation such as the loss of a job or in the US, a catastrophic sickness.
As we all know there have been many people lose jobs over the past 15 months as the crash on Wall Street sent ripples throughout the world economy. Everyone in some shape or form is feeling the crunch financially. Banks can get money cheap but do they pass the low rates on - nope, not a chance!
So what should be done? Should governments stop Credit Card Companies from charging 35% or 25% interest rates on credit card balances? Is it usury or is it the free market at work? I would say the former.
Just ask yourself if you would knowingly sign up for a credit card that charged a 35% interest rate on all outstanding balances, or, would you prefer that the credit card issuer declined your application even if you were aware of the interest rate to begin with?
The financial services industry has shown that they are in business to make money and buyer beware. Can they be trusted to do the right thing? For some reason people hold their financial institutions in high regard and they don't realize that banks and credit card companies are businesses just like the electronics dealer, or any other business in your local mall.
I would argue that even though these financial institutions are selling products and services just like any other business, they do have the ability to seriously impact the well being of their clientele disproportionately and therefore should be held to higher standards of conduct.
Some groups believe charging interest rates over 18% is immoral and considering the interest rates charged to the banks are the lowest they've ever been, they may have a point.
As in all financial transactions, if you don't need money and can prove it, you will be able to get credit. If you need credit and don't have a stellar credit record, it's becoming increasingly obvious that you should be very careful about which type of credit you try to get.
Your financial well being is in the balance and don't expect your government to do anything to contain the rampant greed shown by the financial institutions either.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Oregon Unemployment Claim Online | Increase In Unemployment Rate
On the ABC program "This Week" he also agreed that special considerations concerning the unemployment situation - "Temporary actions must be taken especially to assuage the angst of a major part of the population."
He also said there is no need for another stimulus package.
With unemployment reaching such high levels it is especially difficult to obtain any type of refinancing unless a person has a strong equity position in their home or any other property.
If you are experiencing financial difficulty because of a layoff or the outright loss of a job, refinancing your home might be the only option you have.
The latest news has indicated the economy is starting to pick up and these latest unemployment figures are generally accepted as a lagging indicator.
On the same show Sen. Charles Schumer and Sen. John Cornyn suggested extending unemployment benefits, health care benefits for the unemployed, and housing credits so people buy new homes.
Unemployment Benefits are generally available for a total of 46 weeks. States where the jobless rate is in excess of 6 percent, benefits are available for 59 weeks.
At todays levels and duration of unemployment, it's feared and has been seen that many unemployed people are remaining jobless after the benefits run out.
It can be done, but it's hard to Rebuild Your Credit if you are in financial difficulty, but to do it requires the employment figures to rise and the stimulus package to create more jobs.
However, some States are trying to push through extensions and the State of Oregon has a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits which starts as of Sunday, October 4th - yesterday.
Oregon Unemployment Claim Online
If you live in Oregon here is a FAQ - Unemployment Benefit Extensions provided by the Department of Employment. To find out more, you can go to the Oregon Department of Employment and check it out.With the Rates of Unemployment Increasing, it is essential for anyone who is unemployed to be very careful, do everything possible to find a viable job, and get their financial house in order.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
How do You Start To Rebuild Your Credit
If you understand the dynamics of how credit is judged, you'll have the information to help you stay on top of it all.
Credit Reporting Agencies
Most people have no idea about these companies. What do credit reporting agencies, credit bureaus, credit monitoring services do? There are three Bureaus:- Equifax
- TransUnion
- Experian
Each of the above Agencies offer access to your credit report from each bureau for different prices or free depending on the access you request.
Under the FACT Act amendments to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three main credit reporting companies in a 12-month period. If your identity can be verified online you can access it online, otherwise, you'll have to do it by mail.
What's in Your Credit Report
Each credit reporting agency may format and report information differently, credit reports contain mostly the same kind of information.- Who You Are
- Name
- Address
- Social Security number
- Date of Birth
- Employment Information
- Accounts
- Creditor
- Type of Account
- Term of Account
- Credit Limit
- Loan Amount
- Account Balance
- Payment History
- Credit Inquiries on your Report When you are seeking credit, you are asked to authorize your lender so they can view your credit report. These are Voluntary Inquires and they appear on your report. Contained is a list of everyone who has accessed your credit report over two years. The report also lists Involuntary Inquires. These are lenders who order your report so they can accertain if they want to make you a pre-approved credit offer, usually over the phone or in the mail.
- Public Records and Collections
- Bankruptcies
- Foreclosures
- Law Suits
- Wage Attachments
- Liens
- Court Judgments
This service is free once every 12 months and it is a good idea to get them annually. If there are any discrepancies in the reporting of your financial picture, this gives you a chance to get it straightened out and resolved.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Mortgage Rates Down | The Right Time To Refinance
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Lowest Mortgage Rates on Record
This is the first time the mortgage rate has hit such a low and even though it shows light at the end of the tunnel, some experts are saying it will not enable people with sketchy credit to get into the market. Banks are cautious and, no doubt, are trying to lower the default rate and their exposure.
New Home purchases actually increased in February over January, spurred by lower mortgage rates. Hopefully the trend will increase. Anything that will help consumer confidence is good at this point in time for private banking. However sales of new homes actually decreased over the same time for 2008 and the sales price decreased.
You can get more information here and here.
Even though this is good news for anyone buying, or considering buying a home, caution is still the best way to proceed. Mortgage rates may be low and the price of homes may have dropped, but you'll still have to qualify for a mortgage, and that's going to be the real test.
Just because we are seeing the Lowest Mortgage Rates on Record for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage, rest assured the financial institutions are going to be very cautious about who they approve.
Refinancing today may also be a good idea if you can qualify.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Making Home Affordable Program
With all of the turmoil, this program offers help to those affected and may enable them to seek relief.
According to the website, "up to 9 million American families may be eligible to refinance or modify their loans to a payment that is affordable now and into the future." The name of the site is makinghomeaffordable.gov and if you want to check it out, go for it.
Considering all the money being spent to reboot the ailing economy, Refinancing Today may be the best option for millions of people. In light of the Mortgage Rates trending lower, getting a New Mortgage might be a worthwhile option for people wanting to buy their first home.
Again, you may want to check out the different Mortgage Calculators that are excellent to see where you stand financially.
At the end of the day, any up-tick in spending can only help kick-start the economy. So go and check out The Making Home Affordable Program and see if you qualify.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Mortgage Rates go to a Record Low
This can only be good news for people thinking about getting into a mortgage or even refinancing a mortgage. As current mortgage rates decline there is speculation the rates will stay low.
For first time buyers, this could be a great time to get a home as a 30 year mortgage is sitting at 5%. If you want to figure out if you qualify, a mortgage calculator will help.
The mortgage rates forecast is for rates to stay low for the remainder of 2009, however there is also speculation that when rates tend to fall fast, they also rise fast. Who knows!
So do some homework, what do you have to lose by checking it out. If you can afford to get a new home now, mortgage rates today are as they'll be or have been for quite some time.
It could be a great time to finance a home as Mortgage Rates go to a Record Low . Low interest rates will help keep your costs down and hopefully insure that your equity will increase as the value of your home does. But be careful! Do your homework to make sure you can afford it.
mortgage calculator, , mortgage rates today, mortgage rate trends, mortgage rates forecast
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Mortgage Calculator | Mortgage Refinance Calculator
There are many things to consider when trying to figure out wether you should get a mortgage or refinance an existing mortgage. Experts will tell you to do some research before jumping into something. I say, remember to review exactly what your financial outlook is and do some calculations to see what options are available to you.
When being frugal, you want to make sure that you do not over-extend yourself in any way. A Mortgage Calculator will tell you what kind of payments you will make for the size of loan. Call around to lots of financial institutions that offer mortgages, and find out what Mortgage Interest Rate is available. You'll need to use any of the Mortgage Calculators or Mortgage Refinance Calculators that you will want to plug information into.
Where can you find calculators for Mortgages and Refinancing? I have couple here for you to try out?
Here are a few links to the ones I use. Just click on the link to go there.
Mortgage Calculator
Mortgage Refinance Calculator
These are just a couple of types of calculators available online. Just use them as a tool to see what kind of financing and mortgage rates are going to cost. You may find out that the cost to refinance might not be in your best interest.
A Mortgage Calculator or Mortgage Refinance Calculator is a great place to start figuring out if you might qualify or afford many of the financial products available.
Being Frugal means first and foremost doing your homework.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Get An Affidavit of Financial Hardship
To get your mortgage refinanced today you'll need to Get An Affidavit of Financial Hardship which, if it had been done months ago, might have slowed the recession we're all facing.
The US President announced his "Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan" to help people that have been having trouble Refinancing a Mortgage or keeping up with payments. The media is making a big deal about having to prove hardship as part of the negotiations with lenders to qualify.
Now really... If you are in financial stress and relief is what you are seeking, I say fill out the form and comply with the other requests the lender makes. The Rates of Unemployment Increasing is only going to compound this issue.
The whole reason for the financial mess in the first place is the lack of scrutiny on these mortgages to begin with, so please give me a break. Get with the program.
Florida has a document that is probably like what a person would need to fill out which is actually called Affidavit of Financial Hardship. Go ahead and get it!
If you want to reduce your level of stress, I suggest that you check out the White House Blog to Get The Details of President Obamas' Plan.
I say go ahead and Get An Affidavit of Financial Hardship and make a deal with your lender to get Refinancing Today.
Oh! After you get the whole mess straightened out, it will be time to learn how to Rebuild Your Credit. It's always a good time to start that process.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
How to Fix Bad Credit
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Refinancing Your Mortgage
In some situations you may want to use a Mortgage Broker but if you have been dealing with a Bank, check with them first. They will already know your Financial Situation and will want to keep your business. After all, it's way harder to get a new client that it is to keep an existing client and this fact alone will give you a bit of leverage.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Refinancing Options
You can also find many articles about personal finance online if you look around.
Maybe you are just looking for a guide to real estate investing or you've got a house you want to rent. You might want to know what is the current mortgage rate trend before jumping into the market.
Before you begin looking around, it is essential to have all the relevant information about your financial situation.
Everyones personal finance info is different and it can be frustrating to know where to begin. If you are interested in refinancing, some of your questions might concern the following topics:
- secured loans
- refinancing
- home refinancing
- bad credit home equity loans
- home mortgage refinancing
- refinancing mortgage
- house refinancing
- home refinance bad credit
- refinance mortgage rates
- refinance house
- refinance home loans
- refinance mortgages
- home equity line of credit
- refinancing mortgages
- refinance loans
- refinance loans
- homeowner loans
- refinance mortage
- refinance rates
- refinance car loans
- refinance mortgage loans
- refinance home mortgage
- homeowner credit
Also, if you've lost a job or you know you're going to lose your job, you really need to talk to a financial expert and see what your options are.
If you have saved money from your time working, it may be a good idea to find a company or individual specializing in wealth management.
It's up to you to take control of your financial future.
Just remember - getting a secured loan, refinancing your home, or finding available credit to get you out of a financial mess will not solve all your problems immediately.
If you want to rebuild your credit or manage your finances effectively, start right away by seeking the advice of a professional that you can trust.
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